A CARELESS driver from Rugby has been convicted thanks to more evidence being provided by the public to Warwickshire Police’s Operation Snap team – with two more punished for failing to tell police who was driving when their cars were spotted being driven poorly.
A 25 year old man from Rugby pleaded guilty to careless driving when his Yamaha motorcycle was caught on dashcam pulling wheelies in Addison Road last September.
Taking his guilty plea into consideration, Warwickshire Magistrates Court sentenced the motorcyclist to six points on his driving licence, a £90 fine and £110 costs, with an additional £34 victim surcharge.
Two other drivers were charged with failing to identify the driver in relation to careless driving offences captured by Operation Snap. This is often looked upon as a more serious offence than careless driving, attracting up to six points and a £1,000 fine.
A 37 year old man from Rugby pleaded guilty to failing to identify the driver after his car was caught on camera crossing solid white lines at speed to overtake a cyclist and motorcyclist on the A428 in Houlton in May 2021.
He was fined £440, received six points on his driving licence and was ordered to pay costs of £85, and a victim surcharge of £44.
A 32 year old man from Rugby was disqualified from driving for two years for failing to identify the driver when his car span out of control when turning right off Lawford Road in July 2021. He was also fined £660 with £90 costs and a £66 victim surcharge.
Operation Snap was launched in 2018 to allow motorists to report incidents backed up with their own digital footage from dashcams and other devices.
Operation Snap Coordinator PC Ken Bratley said: “Operation Snap is really popular as more and more people have dashcams in their vehicles or wear a headcam when they are cycling, motorcycling or riding a horse. Even pedestrians can submit moving footage from a mobile phone if it is safe to record it.
“This has seen the number of submissions we receive increase by 40 per cent over the last six months.
“We are working hard with Warwickshire Road Safety Partners to do everything we can to reduce serious and fatal collisions and are delighted the public wants to get involved by using Operation Snap to make our roads safer for everyone.
“We will continue to use Operation Snap alongside traditional enforcement methods to help educate those drivers with poor attitudes or decision making skills that it’s not ok to drive carelessly or dangerously and put yourself and others in danger of death or serious injury.“
When Warwickshire Police receive Operation Snap footage, it is reviewed by a police officer to determine whether an offence has been committed.
Where there is evidence of an offence, a Notice of Intended Prosecution is served, with options including an offer to attend a driving retraining course, a fixed penalty fine and points, or having the matter heard at court. The most serious offences go straight to court.
Visit www.warwickshire.police.uk/operationsnap for more information.
